Power Struggle
by Psychodahlia
Summary: A horrible crime shocks the Enterprise. Kirk and Spock prepare to set a plan in motion. The rating is M for a reason. Chapter 5 is finally up.
1. Chapter 1

Warning: Story deals with rape. It is not particularly graphic, but it will be dark and it is an adult subject. Consider yourselves warned.

The kitchen on the Enterprise was small. The replicators provided all of the needed food and the archaic task of cooking was left to those with too much time on their hands. The kitchen had a couple of stoves, a sink, and Lt. O'Malley's distillery. It didn't get much use.

Ensign Shina Mifune was making rice balls. Tomorrow Japan would celebrate the Girl's Festival. Being a feminist meant she had to arrange for a 'Girl's Night In' with her friends in the Communications Department. Ice cream would be replicated for those who didn't want rice balls.

Then the lights in the kitchen went out. Her mouth was covered with a piece of cloth and she felt a burning sensation in the back of her throat. She tried to fight back but was too dizzy to do anything more than struggle.

She managed to get out one scream before passing out.

Three months later…

The voice that filled the captain's quarters sounded unusually frazzled and worried, prompting Kirk to pick up his communicator a bit faster than was normal. "Captain Kirk here. What's up, Uhura?"

"Captain, you might want to get down to Sickbay."

"Did McCoy put you up to this? I said I'd reschedule that physical." He grinned at the thought of the doctor getting so desperate.

"Jim, please." She sounded so frightened then that his grin disappeared. "Please, we need you in Sickbay."

"I'll be there in a second." The fact that she was frightened freaked him out and he ran down to Sickbay in record time.

It was empty except for McCoy, Uhura, and the Head of Security, Lt. Commander Alexander Green. The vicious scowl on Green's normally placid face confirmed Kirk's suspicion that something was very, very wrong. His gait slowed as he came up to the group and he noticed what they were surrounding.

They were gathered around a small woman lying on a hospital bed. Her short, jet black hair was uncombed and her eyes were red. She was speaking, but between her accent and sobbing he couldn't make anything out. He was saved from having to ask when McCoy quietly pulled him away.

A few paces from the bed, he spoke in a low, quiet voice. "She was raped."

Kirk's hand curled into a fist and he really wanted to hit something. "Who was it?"

"We don't know. She doesn't know. The kitchen lights went out and nobody else was there." McCoy paused. "She didn't tell anyone until today."

"Until today?" Kirk repeated. "How long ago did this happen?"

"I don't have an exact date yet but she just finished her first trimester."

"Oh shit."

"Yeah." McCoy nodded. "That's a good way of putting it."

"Can you…" He was so mad he had trouble turning his thoughts into words. "Can you figure out who? With DNA from the kid?"

The doctor hesitated. "Yes and no. Yes because it's possible. No because I would need a DNA sample from the man to compare it to. And to get anyone's DNA I would need a warrant otherwise it's an invasion of their right to keep all biological knowledge private."

"You're kidding me."

"No." McCoy shook his head. "Starfleet Regulations state I can't take a sample of anyone's blood for any reason other than medical safety."

"It is medical safety!" He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Her medical safety! The medical safety of every woman on this ship!"

"And I took her DNA. But you can't go around stabbing people with needles and taking their blood. You need a warrant." He emphasized the last sentence by jabbing his finger against Kirk's chest.

"And to get a warrant I need a suspect." Kirk sighed and glanced back at the hospital bed.

"I want her to rest. Uhura and Green have been questioning her almost nonstop since they got here. Talk to them before you bother her some more."

"I just want to tell her one thing." Kirk pulled away and crossed back to the hospital bed. He sat on the edge of it and took one of the girl's small hands in his own. She tensed up and he felt a swell of loathing for whoever had made her afraid of human contact. "Ensign, I promise you. I'm gonna find the guy who hurt you and I'm gonna hurt him." He couldn't be certain but he had a feeling that Green was backing up his words with a firm nod. "So get some rest and don't worry, okay?" He gave her what he hoped was a comforting smile and led Uhura and Green out of Sickbay. He looked back over his shoulder and was glad to see McCoy pulling curtains around her bed, sealing her away from the rest of the medical wing and giving her some privacy.

When the doors swooshed shut and they were alone in the hallway he turned to both of them. "Tell me everything you know."

Uhura spoke first. "I noticed she was showing. I asked her about it and she broke down." She didn't look him in the eye. "I got her to Sickbay."

Green spoke up, his Texan accent harsher than either of them had ever heard before. "She said it happened in the kitchen. She doesn't remember the time but said it was after her shift." He looked at Uhura. "Lieutenant, do you know her schedule?"

"From three months ago?" She shook her head. "But I can check the computer logs."

"Do it." Kirk ordered. "Mr. Green, any suggestions?"

The older man inhaled and thought for a minute. "We should investigate the kitchen. Anything useful is probably gone by now but we should still check. The ship's cameras, obviously." He puffed his cheeks and exhaled. "We should talk to her roommate and friends."

He nodded. "You had experience in law enforcement before Starfleet, right? Any detective work?"

Green shook his head. "No Sir, I'm afraid not. My specialty is combat maneuvers." His brow creased. "But I think I know someone who would be really good at this sort of thing."

"Who?"

A few minutes later Spock arched his eyebrow at the two men who had just marched into his quarters. "Your idea does not lack merit, Mr. Green, but my logic should not be the deciding factor in who leads the investigation."

"Believe me, Sir, nobody in my department has any experience in detective work. I gotta buncha kids who know as much about investigating as you do. Only difference is, you're more logical."

Kirk cleared his throat. "You'll be working with me. I want to help catch the bastard."

"That is not surprising, but it is also unwise. At least one of us should be focused on our duties to the Enterprise."

Kirk's hand curled into a fist again. "Keeping the crew safe is our main duty!"

"We can not ignore the Enterprise as a whole to focus on one issue." Spock argued. "Be logical."

"This isn't a logical situation!" He yelled. "This is rape! She's a child and he raped her and I want to find him!"

"Starfleet regulations forbid anyone younger than seventeen to board a spaceship as a crew member." Spock coolly replied.

For a second Kirk wanted to hit him. How anybody could respond to such a horrible act with a cool, collected response was beyond him. His hand shook and he glared daggers. "I can't believe you. What if it was Uhura lying in that hospital bed?" That was a low blow but judging from the brief flicker of rage that passed over Spocks face, it had connected.

The half-Vulcan nodded. "Captain, you have convinced me. But I have one condition."

"What is it?"

"I will be in charge of the investigation. You will follow my lead on this since I believe you are too emotional to be in charge of an investigation of such magnitude."

Kirk thought for a moment. He was still angry but he was smart enough to realize his First Officer had a point. His knowledge of detective work could be typed on a note card and he couldn't honestly promise not to beat the crap out of the first suspect they stumbled across. "Deal." He held out his hand and they shook.

Fin.

Author's notes: This might qualify as the heaviest thing I've ever written. Whoo. More to come.

Star Trek does not belong to me. I wish it did.


	2. Chapter 2

Kirk scuffed the floor of the kitchen with his boot and sighed. He didn't understand why they were wasting time here instead of asking around the ship to see if the crew knew anything. "It was three months ago. Anything useful is gone." When Spock didn't respond he repeated himself.

"I am not looking for physical evidence." His First Officer replied. "I am looking for potential witnesses."

"Potential witnesses." He deadpanned. "It was dark and she was alone. Besides, nobody comes down here."

"I come here to make plomeek soup."

"Great, that means you can interrogate yourself. Who else?"

Spock looked pointedly at Lt. O'Malley's distillery.

The Enterprise had one administration office and only one administration clerk. This made hunting down the deranged bureaucrat fairly simple. Kirk steeled himself with a few deep breaths then forced himself to follow Spock into the office.

It was more cave than work place. Dimly lit, with stacks of paper three feet tall scattered around and Kirk swore he saw something crawling around on the floor. No wonder O'Malley was such a harpy. Working here would be enough to drive anyone crazy. She was sitting at her desk now, glaring daggers at them. He wondered how often she got to escape the room.

His sympathy disappeared when her sarcastic Irish brogue filled the room. "Well if it isn't Captain Spiffy and the Emotional Zombie. What can I do for you?"

Spock's eyebrow went up. "Your tone and attitude borders on insubordination, Lieutenant."

"Oh no, not insubordination." She mockingly shook her hands. "Not to be rude, but I'm busy. So if this is an intervention or a discussion about my attitude, then we'll have to reschedule."

Kirk fumed. Crummy work life or not, nobody spoke to him or his First Officer that way. "Now you listen to me, Lieutenant…"

"I will handle this." Spock interrupted.

"But she…" Kirk scowled. "Fine. You handle it."

"Thank you. Lt. O'Malley, as a superior officer I am ordering you to cooperate with this investigation."

"This about the kid who got raped?" Kirk wondered how she knew about that.

"Yes."

"Go ahead."

"The attack happened in the kitchen roughly three months back. Did you notice anything unusual around then?"

"Nope."

"Do you know of anyone else who uses the kitchen on a regular basis?"

"Nope."

"Do you have any other knowledge that is relevant?"

"Nope. But!" She sat up straight and leaned forward. "her ex-boyfriend might. Ensign Adam Durrell. Works in Engineerin'."

Kirk narrowed his eyes. "How do you know about an ex-boyfriend? You don't even know who was raped."

She gave a derisive snort. "Please. I know everythin'."

"How?"

"Infiltration is a hobby of mine. Are we done?"

"I have nothing more. Good day, Lieutenant." Spock inclined his head and led Kirk out of the office. "That was interesting."

"That's one way to put it."

Ensign Durrell was cooperative and answered all their questions. Not only was he able to provide the names of all of Mifune's friends, but he volunteered to provide a DNA sample to remove any suspicion from himself. Twenty minutes after they sent him down to Sickbay, Dr. McCoy contacted them to tell them he was not the father of the baby.

Interrogating Mifune's close friends revealed nothing of interest. A few months ago she had started acting withdrawn and randomly breaking into tears. Any attempts to find out what was wrong were met with silence.

After hearing that for the fifth time, Kirk slumped down in a bench in the Rec Room and wondered how a teenager could be raped, impregnated, and hide it for three months. "Are we really that unobservant?" He wondered aloud.

"I have noticed that humans tend to ignore what they do not wish to acknowledge." Spock said. Despite the lack of new information he was writing everything they had been told in a notebook. Laying down his pen he folded his hands and narrowed his eyes in thought. "Ensign Mifune is very young."

"Starfleet likes its child geniuses." Kirk said bitterly. "She's eighteen. I checked."

Spock stared at the notebook. "It is highly unlikely she would socialize with just these five women. More than likely she would also know others her own age."

Kirk brightened up. "How many kids do we have on board this ship?"

There were eight people under twenty-one onboard the Enterprise. As it turned out, they all knew each other.

"Da. I know Ensign Mifune. Ve talk sometimes." Chekov nodded. "She goes to Bon-Bon's parties."

"Bon-Bon?" Spock arched an eyebrow.

"Sorry. Uh…Ensign Ramirez. Bonita. She throws parties."

"And what happens at these parties?"

"Uh…" Chekov swallowed and blushed. "Ve…talk." There was a moment of silence and he looked nervously between the two commanding officers. "Ve talk about…adult things?"

Kirk glared. His patience was wearing thin and he did not wanted to beat someone, not question teenagers on their late night shenanigans. "Ensign, I'm trying to find out who raped a member of my crew. Yeah, raped. And until McCoy figures out exactly what date the baby was conceived, we don't have much to go on. So if you know something that could help this go faster I suggest you start talking."

Chekov opened and closed his mouth a few times. "Raped?" He squeaked out.

"That's what I said, isn't it?" Kirk gritted his teeth.

"Captain, may I speak to you for a moment?" Spock stood up.

"Hang on, I get the feeling I've finally gotten through. It was rape. They have that in Russia, right?"

Chekov looked at Spock, clearly frightened and unsure of what to say or do.

"Captain, as head of this investigation, I would like to speak with you now. Ensign, stay here." Reluctantly, Kirk stood up and followed his First Officer out of the Rec Room. The hallway was mostly empty and they were able to speak in hushed voices without drawing too much attention. "Captain, you are intimidating him."

"I'm not intimidating him, I'm trying…" Kirk lowered his voice when a passing Lieutenant looked over at him. "I'm trying to find out if he knows anything useful."

"You agreed to follow my lead during this investigation."

"You're taking too long. All we've done so far is talk to her friends. We haven't found out anything."

Spock looked as annoyed as only a Vulcan could. "I assure you, Captain, I am devoting all my energies to finding Ensign Mifune's rapist. But as you pointed out we have little information and anything might be useful." He looked straight into Kirk's eyes. "But if I am to head this investigation then I will be conducting all further interviews from now on."

It took Kirk a few moments to work up the courage to nod. "Fine."

"Captain, if you don't mind my saying so, you seem even more emotional than usual."

"It's nothing."

"Your tone indicates otherwise."

Kirk hesitated and looked away. "I'm the captain. I'm supposed to take care of my crew."

Spock arched an eyebrow. "You cannot expect to protect every member of the crew from every conceivable danger. You had no way of knowing she would be hurt."

"That doesn't make me feel better."

"It wasn't meant to. It was meant to point out how illogical your feelings are."

Kirk rubbed his hand over his face in exasperation. "Lets just finish up here." They re-entered the Rec Room where Chekov hadn't moved so much as a muscle, and began again. It turned out that the 'adult things' that went on at Bon-Bon's parties were heavy death metal music, head banging, and making out. It reminded Kirk of his college days at the Academy.

"But Ensign Mifune hasn't been to a party in months. She just stopped coming. Ve don't know why."

"Thank you, Ensign. You are dismissed." Chekov quickly got up and left the Rec Room.

Spock looked at his notebook again and was about to speak when Kirk's communicator beeped. "Dr. McCoy to Kirk. We've got some new information."

Fin.

Author's notes: I'm not too happy with this chapter, there's not enough action and the only real drama is when Kirk gets all emotional and scary. Mayhap I am not cut out to write crime dramas. Oh wells.

Star Trek and all its characters are not mine. The only profit I make is psychological validation when people leave reviews.

The character of Lt. Margaret 'Meg' O'Malley may be used by other authors. The only stipulations are that she is not promoted or given any redeeming values, and I get credit.


	3. Chapter 3

Bones was chewing on the end of a pen and flipping through paperwork when they arrived in Sickbay. He looked up when they entered and nodded them over. "Any luck?"

Kirk gave a negative reply at the same time Spock said they had spoken to some of Mifune's friends. They glared at each other for a moment before the science officer continued. "You said you information for us, Doctor?"

"I do." He turned to a computer terminal and tapped the screen. "Based on how far along she is, this was the date of conception." He waited for Spock to copy the date down in his notebook, then nodded toward a portion of the bay that was curtained off. "It's been hell getting her to talk but Uhura's been working on her."

"I didn't know Uhura was talking to the Ensign." Spock arched an eyebrow at this new revelation.

"We don't have a shrink onboard and I'm not willing to pick some girl's brain about her rape." Bones shrugged. "Communication is more than just language. Uhura's the best person on board for Ensign Mifune to talk to."

"Did she tell Lt. Uhura anything useful to the investigation?"

"There was a party at 'Bon Bon's' quarters. She tossed a few back, talked to a few people and left. Went to the kitchen to make some food for a holiday or something and that's when it happened."

"Thank you Doctor. That is helpful."

"Wait a minute, wait. How is this helpful again?" Kirk asked. "No offense Bones, but the only new information you gave us is the date."

"Bit curious about that myself." Bones looked at Spock.

"Simple. While we suspected Ensign Mifune had attended the party, now we are certain. If she left the party alone it would have provided an excellent opportunity for someone so inclined to attack."

"You think someone from the party attacked her." A fourth voice joined in. The men looked up to see Uhura standing behind Spock. Kirk wondered how long she had been there. "That makes sense, most rapists know their victims."

"How do you know that?" Kirk asked.

"Life in Starfleet 101. Lecture 13: Assault and Sexual Harassment Prevention." She deadpanned. "I think you were sick that day."

Kirk was about to snap back with an order to remember that he was the captain when he remembered that she was partly right. He had skipped that lecture, had e-mailed his professor with the excuse of being sick when he had been suffering from a hangover.

The memory made him feel nauseated. His mouth went dry and he couldn't think of anything to say. Finally he told them he wanted to talk to Mifune and to make sure Uhura got to her quarters safely. For a moment it looked like she would protest but Spock took her hand and guided her out of Sickbay.

"I didn't mean to make him feel bad." She said when they were out of Sickbay and walking down the hallway. "At least not that bad."

"The Captain is agitated." Spock replied. "He believes he is to blame for what happened."

"That's ridiculous."

"I agree."

"Almost as ridiculous as you making sure I get home alright." She arched an eyebrow, mirroring his favorite expression.

It was a testament to his grace under fire that Spock did not break out in a cold sweat under that look. "There is an attacker on board ship. We do not know his identity, nor when or where he will attempt to hurt another woman. Until this situation is resolved it is logical to take precautions to protect yourself."

"Spock, nobody is going to jump on me in the middle of the hallway." She pointed out.

"I have noticed the women on board ship have taken to traveling in pairs and groups." This was true; rumors about the investigation had spread. Fear and common sense had prompted many of the ship's women to use the buddy system.

"I can take care of myself." Uhura snapped. "Just because I didn't notice something was wrong with Ensign Mifune doesn't mean I'm totally incompetent!"

"I didn't mean to imply that you were." Spock said, arching his own eyebrow. They had reached her quarters and he hesitated when the door swooshed open. Figuring that it would not be wise to leave her until he knew the extent of her feelings and had done what he could to soothe her he stepped into her room.

If she was surprised that he had followed her inside she didn't show it. She just ordered a drink from the replicator and offered him one.

"No thank you. My intent was not to join you for a drink."

"So what did you intend?"

"To find out why you are angry."

Uhura sighed. "Ensign Mifune is on my communications team. I am directly responsible for her safety. Now do you see why I'm upset?"

"No." Spock said simply. "You are doing the exact same thing the Captain is doing: blaming yourself for something you had no control over." He removed the drink from her hand and they sat on the edge of the bed. "I have noticed that humans like to control things and when they are in a situation they cannot influence they become fearful and angry. It is a side effect of not controlling your emotions."

She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to control these emotions. I don't want to have them at all."

"Then you wouldn't have any emotions and I would not love you." He said softly, wiping his thumb across her cheek and brushing away a tear. "And I wouldn't worry as much about your safety."

She sniffled and gave a weak smile. "You're sweet." She said. "Very chivalrous. Now you just have to lure the bastard out from his rat hole and you won't have to worry about me getting home alright."

Spock was quiet for a second. He had a look that indicated he was thinking; his forehead was slightly creased and his eyebrows were drawn together instead of arched. Uhura touched his knee. "Spock?"

"I had not thought to lure him out." He said. "My intent was always to find out who the culprit was by detective work and process of elimination. However…"

"You think you can catch him in the act." She finished.

"We should talk to the Captain."

Kirk was still in Sickbay, where they had left him. He was hesitating between pulling back the curtain that surrounded Ensign Mifune and leaving her alone. He was confused and he looked at Bones for help. "Is this a good idea?"

"I'm a doctor, not a shrink."

"Aren't shrinks doctors?"

Bones looked annoyed. "Well…they're a different kind of doctor. My point is I can't tell you if it's a good idea or not. The only people she's seen since she was brought here are Lt. Uhura and me."

"You kept her isolated."

"Well how would you feel if you were raped and got pregnant and had to deal with everybody stopping by to check up on you and ask questions and satisfy their own curiosity? This is a Sickbay, not a zoo!"

"Alright, alright!" Kirk took a step back. "Don't get angry."

Bones rolled his eyes and there was a tense moment where they looked helplessly at each other, neither of them knowing what to do. Kirk was about to leave when a small voice from the other side of the curtain said: "I can hear you."

Kirk drew the white curtain aside to see Ensign Mifune staring at him. "Sorry." He said awkwardly. "I didn't realize we were so loud. Or that this curtain is as thin as a sheet." He looked at Bones, who shrugged.

"Starfleet regulation. Apparently they never thought anybody would come to Sickbay for privacy." He pulled the sheet back across the curtain rod it was attached too and they watched his boots walk away.

Kirk was keenly aware of Mifune staring at him and he found it hard to meet her eyes. Despite Spock's logic, he still felt at least partially to blame for her condition. It was one of the few times when he didn't know what to say.

She saved him by breaking the ice herself. "How's the investigation going?"

"It's going well." He lied. "We've talked to a lot of people. We've got a few ideas, eliminated a few possible suspects."

"Dr. McCoy told me Adam offered up his DNA."

"Yeah. He's not the father."

"Why can't you ask every man to undergo a DNA test?" She asked. Her eyes were wide and if anyone had asked him, Kirk would have told them she looked fifteen. "Wouldn't that be easier than talking to people?"

"It would but bio-ethics privacy laws prohibit us from forcing anyone…"

"I didn't say force. I said 'ask'." She interrupted. "It would narrow your suspect list."

Kirk opened his mouth to respond when his communicator beeped. "Spock to Captain Kirk."

"Kirk here."

"Captain, Lt. Uhura has an idea about how to find the attacker. Can you meet us in her quarters?"

"I'll be there before you can blink." Kirk said. He looked at Mifune. "You are a genius."

"Starfleet Academy said the same thing. I'm not sure I believe it."

"Believe it. I'm gonna go pitch your idea to my First Officer and talk to Lt. Commander Green. You keep thinking…" He paused because he wasn't sure what to tell her to think about. "You keep thinking up good ideas, okay?"

She gave him the thumbs up. As he walked out of Sickbay, Kirk felt hopeful about the investigation for the first time.

Fin.

Author's notes: I like this chapter better than the last. More drama, more action.

This chapter was supposed to be finished two weeks ago but I got a job (which is awesome by the way and I thank the good Lord that I have one) which took up a lot of time. Then my computer got a virus and my friend had to come over and fix it. Then I went off to Anime Mid Atlantic. The con was lame but the parties were excellent. So yah, life got in the way.

But seriously, thank you for your patience and support. Ya'll are great.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ensign Mifune's idea has merit." Spock said. He, Kirk, Bones, Lt. Commander Green and Uhura were in his quarters. The men were standing while Uhura sat quietly on the bed.

"For once I agree with the hobgoblin." Bones looked at Green. "If it's a request then there are no bio-privacy violations."

Green nodded slowly. "It's a good idea." He said simply. It was the first sentence he had spoken since the meeting had begun. He had been quiet, standing against the wall with his arm crossed over his chest and his face etched in a seemingly permanent scowl.

"Good. We'll do that." Kirk nodded decisively. "Now the next idea…" He trailed off and looked at Uhura. "It's not bad…."

She met his eyes. "But…?"

"But I really hate the idea of sending you to smoke the sonuvabitch out."

Uhura bristled. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" She hissed.

"That is not the question." Spock said. "You are not the best candidate for this mission."

Her jaw dropped. "I am Ensign Mifune's team leader and…"

"And that is precisely why you are not suited for this." He finished. "You are too close to her. The rape and our investigation are common knowledge on the ship. If the rapist saw you it would likely alert him to what was going on and our opportunity would be lost." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Sending you is not logical."

"So who do you suggest sending?" She asked.

"Leave that to me." Green said suddenly. "I know just the lady."

Kirk nodded. "In that case, we need to talk to Ensign Ramirez." Spock nodded and the meeting dispersed.

Before she left, Spock took hold of Uhura's hand. For a moment it seemed like she wanted to jerk away but the moment passed and she melted into him. They hugged briefly and she stepped away. "I'll go with Lt. Commander Green. It might help if there's another woman to explain the situation."

"Be careful." He pleaded. She nodded and left with Green, leaving him alone with Kirk and McCoy.

"My God, Spock. Did you just almost show emotion?" McCoy seemed oddly amused at the idea.

"Doctor, don't you have hyposprays to inject people with?"

"Did you just make a joke?" Showing emotion was one thing but Spock joking was too weird to think about.

"No, that was a question based on the observation of your curious medical practices and overreliance on hyposprays."

Bones stared at him for a moment before clapping him on the shoulder. "You were joking. Good for you." He walked away without saying another word.

Kirk barely kept himself from laughing all the way to Ensign Bonita 'Bon Bon' Ramirez's quarters. Only the steely look on Spock's face kept him from guffawing in the middle of the Enterprises' hallways. It was only when they reached her door that he said something. "Y'know, using humor to keep morale high is a great leadership strategy."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Captain." Spock pushed the buzzer and Ensign Ramirez answered the door.

"Uh…" The nineteen year old bit her lip and her teeth clicked against the piercing she always wore off-duty. "I didn't do it."

Kirk couldn't stop himself from smirking. He had worn that same look so many times. "Don't worry, Ensign. We come in peace and asking for your help in solving a crime."

"Oh." She stopped chewing on her lip but still looked apprehensive. "In that case, come on in."

Lt. Brenda Kwan was a strong woman. She worked hard to get what she wanted and didn't let anyone bully her. She was respected and liked by most on the ship and generally got along with everyone. With one exception.

"Bitch!" Lt. O'Malley screamed. The two women tackled one another and both fell on the floor. Kwan was the better fighter but nobody ever accused O'Malley of fighting clean. For several seconds they scuffled on the floor, hitting and clawing at each other until Green managed to separate them.

He threw the more level headed Kwan at Uhura, who managed to calm the other woman. Seventy percent of human communication is nonverbal and Uhura put that knowledge to good use. It didn't matter what she said, it mattered that her voice was soothing. It mattered that she rubbed Kwan's arms, letting the physical contact smooth away the hurt feelings and wounded pride.

Green was not so lucky. O'Malley's tiny, inebriated body was swallowed by his burly frame but she still kept fighting. Cursing loudly, she kicked her foot up, catching Kwan in the face. Green pulled her a few steps back and body slammed her against the wall of Engineering. "When did this ship turn into a kindergarten?"

Ensign Ramirez sat back and looked at her commanding officers. "You really want me to do this? I don't want anybody else getting hurt because they went to one of my parties."

"Nobody was hurt because they went to your party." Spock said evenly. "And we will be working with security to minimize the risks."

"But," She swallowed. "what if this guy doesn't take the bait? What if he goes after someone different? What if you're wrong and the guy doesn't go to my parties?"

"If none of the males you socialize with turn out to be the perpetrator we will formulate another plan to continue our process of elimination."

"You make it sound so logical and clean cut. But this is dangerous." Her voice got smaller the more she spoke.

Kirk leaned forward. "Ensign, sometimes you have to take a risk."

"After you have thought it through and determined it is necessary and have taken all precautions to minimize the risk." Spock said quickly. He and Kirk looked at each other for a moment before turning back to Ensign Ramirez.

She sighed. "Tell me more about how you intend to minimize the risk."

Lt. Kwan gaped at Uhura. Green had 'escorted' (dragged) O'Malley away and the two of them had retreated to the Communications Officer's quarters. "You must be joking."

"No." She shook her head. "I'm not."

"This is…you're asking a lot of me."

"Mr. Green seems to think you're uniquely qualified for this mission and after seeing you fight, I agree with him."

Kwan was quiet for a moment, tracing her finger along the wood grain of Uhura's dinner table. "The girl who was raped…she's Asian, right?"

"Japanese."

She nodded. "There are some men who make a fetish out of that. 'Oooh, I get to bang an Asian chick'. It's disgusting, you know?"

"I know." Uhura held up a hand, indicating her skin tone. "They also like to go 'Oooh, I get to bang a Black chick.' Then I knee them in the crotch and they usually leave me alone."

Kwan smirked. "I'd like to knee this guy in the crotch." She leaned forward across the table. "Tell me more."

"You'd get to wear a costume."

Scotty held up the headband and pointed to the glass floral decoration on top. "Can't even see it can you?" He said proudly. "It's smaller than your thumbnail but it'll give you the greatest high definition picture anyone can ask for." He leaned back in his chair. It was similar to Kirk's but there was no room in his office for it to swivel. Books, charts and inventions were stacked in every corner, making the tiny office smaller. It was almost enough to make Kirk claustrophobic.

Ramirez didn't seem to notice the cramped space. She held up the headband and inspected it from every angle. "How do you turn it on?"

"It can be activated remotely. I made a computer program that…"

"I don't really understand technology." She said. "I'm in security."

"I can turn it on from my computer." Scotty said patiently. "And it will show us who is at the party and everything else the person wearing it sees."

"Very cool."

"Aye." He picked up another small gadget. "This will let us speak to the person. Be careful, it's delicate."

"I better not touch it then." She bent over and looked at the small ear piece.

"Are you satisfied with the technological precautions we will be using?" Spock asked.

"Yes." She turned to face them. "Now let's go talk to Lt. Commander Green."

Lt. Commander Green was in the brig sipping arguing with Lt. O'Malley. "I swear to the Savior, I am going to turn every kid on this ship that is under twenty years old over my knee." He snapped.

She snorted. "I'm seeing visions of charges of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of power." She had a flask in her hand. He wasn't sure where she had been keeping it but it irritated him that she had managed to sneak it past him into the cell.

"Don't you even try to talk me out of it, you're included."

She snorted again, more derisively this time. "I'm over twenty. And I'd fuck up your request for leave."

"You would do that, wouldn't you?"

"Yep." She peered past his shoulder and arched her eyebrow. He turned around and followed her gaze. When he saw who it was he snapped to attention. "Captain. Commander Spock." He greeted them and nodded to Ensign Ramirez.

"Lt. Commander Green, good to see you weren't injured in the fight." Kirk looked hesitantly at O'Malley.

"I'll resign my commission the day I can't take care of some drunk little pipsqueak."

"Well aren't you a regular jolly green giant?" O'Malley grumbled. "Hey, how come Kwan's not down here with me? She started it."

"Lt. Kwan doesn't have quite the disciplinary record you have." Kirk said. "But if you cooperate with us I'll have the last twenty infractions erased from your record."

"That sounds an awful lot like blackmail, Captain."

"I meant it as an incentive."

She was silent for a moment, glaring daggers at everyone. "The last twenty-five infractions and you let me out of here."

"Deal." He nodded to Lt. Commander Green, who grumbled but punched the buttons on the wall. The force field surrounding the cell evaporated and O'Malley stepped out.

"I really should demand a promotion for this." She said.

"Too late now." Kirk jerked his thumb at Spock. "He'll brief you on the specifics."

"I believe it would be wise to have this conversation elsewhere." Spock said.

"Your quarters or mine?" She smirked.

"Mr. Scott's office should suffice." He turned and left, letting her hurry after him. When they were out of earshot Ramirez looked at Kirk and Green.

"You sure you trust her?"

"O'Malley's a banshee but dangle the right incentive in front of her and she'll do anything." Green said. "I'm not happy with it but you have to work with what you've got."

Kirk nodded in agreement. "Mr. Green, can you explain security's role in this? She wants to make sure we're taking every precaution to keep everyone safe."

Green nodded. "Very sensible."

Kirk left them to talk and made his way to Sickbay. He had to speak to Bones and it would not be a pleasant conversation. He didn't want anyone else there to make it harder or more awkward than it had to be.

"Captain? Can I help you?" It was Dr. Rosemont, the young Second Lieutenant who functioned as McCoy's back-up doctor. Despite having graduated from Starfleet's Medical Academy at the age of 26, his baby face and big brown eyes made him look about fourteen.

"Is Bone's here?"

"He's in the back lab, Sir. We've been running DNA tests all day."

"Thanks." Kirk gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes and headed into the dark recesses of Sickbay.

Bones looked both frustrated and exhausted. "I swear, half the men on this ship dropped by once word got out." He grumbled. "Even Baby Doc lined up to surrender some DNA. And still nothing."

Kirk shrugged. "It was just to whittle down our list of potential suspects. Dr. Rosemont doesn't really look like a guy who would attack a woman in a dark, abandoned kitchen."

"Jim, half the guys I got look like they've never had sex."

"Well, test the DNA and we'll cross 'em off the list if we see 'em at Ensign Ramirez's party."

Bones nodded. "You're still going through with that?"

"Yeah. I actually wanted to talk to you about that."

"So talk." Bones had no idea what he was asking. Talking about it meant there was a possibility it could happen and Kirk didn't want to consider that possibility.

"I want you close by while we're doing it. I don't want you cooped up in Sickbay."

"Dammit, I'm a doctor, not a security officer. What would you want me there for?" The question validated his point. Bones had no interest in security or he wouldn't have needed to ask why his presence would be required.

"I want you close by because shit might go as far South as the Bible Belt and we might need a doctor." Kirk didn't mean it to sound so harsh but the idea that another woman might be raped was hard enough for him to admit. Thankfully, it seemed like Bones got the point. He was quiet for a moment, either because he was thinking or embarrassed.

"That makes sense." He finally admitted. "You let me know when it goes down and where to be."

"We'll be viewing it from Scotty's quarters." Kirk said quietly. "Twenty-hundred."

Bones nodded. "I'll see you there."

Fin.

Author's notes: You know, I usually go out of my way to avoid creating OCs for other fandoms. But for this I can't seem to help but creating OCs. Part of it is because there aren't enough canon women on the ship.

However, I can't take credit for the lovely character of Brenda Kwan. She was created by L1701E and thoughtfully loaned out. Thanks, L1701E!


	5. Chapter 5

Everything went right. Brenda glided easily through the party; the camera atop her headband provided the observers with a good look at most, if not all, of the party goers. Spock had spent most of the evening cataloguing the names of the male partiers and cross checking it with the names of men who had submitted DNA samples.

O'Malley had provided an interesting (lewd) distraction. She was not an entirely unattractive woman, and her gyrations and the gold sequined outfit that left little to the imagination had allowed Brenda to work the party, to talk, to see which men were interested in an Asian woman, to appear a little drunker than she actually was. For all that they were bitter enemies, the two women worked well together, timing their flirtations perfectly. Under different circumstances, Kirk would have fantasized about a threesome.

At the end of the night they had parted. In case the rapist did have a fetish for Asian women, Brenda went to the library. With Lt. Commander Green's main security team hidden behind empty desks, she appeared alone and vulnerable.

In case he didn't have such a fetish, O'Malley skipped down to the empty kitchen and paid some much needed attention to her distillery. Another security team was nearby.

And they all waited. Bones, Nurse Chapel and Dr. Rosemont lounged around Sickbay, terrified that something might go wrong. No less terrified was Green, who kept reminding himself about how qualified and well trained his people were. Scotty constantly checked the feed on the women's cameras.

Kirk, Spock and Uhura waited in Kirk's quarters, their eyes glued to the screen. Nobody could think of anything to say and the tension was oppressive. Kirk got up and wondered around the room for a bit, restless and desperate for something to happen.

Nothing did. Eventually Green called in. "Lt. Commander Green to Commander Spock. Sir, its zero-two-hundred hours. I don't think we're going to solve this tonight."

"Give it another hour." Spock said coolly. "We should give this plan every opportunity to work."

Zero-three-hundred hours. "One more hour." Spock said.

When the ship's computer reported that the time was zero-four hundred hours Spock finally gave the order for security to stand down. Neither woman was hurt, everything had gone right and the plan had been a complete and utter failure. Even the usually stoic First Officer could not conceal his disappointment at not having snared the criminal.

Jim rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Mr. Green, please make sure that Lt. Kwan and Lt. O'Malley are escorted back to their quarters." He flopped down on the bed and let out a frustrated sigh. "Damn."

"Double damn." Uhura copied his sigh. "What do we do now?"

Spock did not sigh, but he did lean back and look, what was that look? Puzzled? Annoyed? Kirk couldn't decide. "Captain, I would suggest we contact Starfleet and request they send a trained investigator." When Kirk didn't respond, Spock looked at him. "Jim?"

"I don't want them to find him." Kirk said quietly. "I want to find him, beat him to a bloody pulp and then beat him again with a Starfleet court martial so he spends the rest of his life rotting in a prison cell."

"An admirable goal." Spock said, and he wasn't being sarcastic. "However, you have no training in criminal investigation. I have no such training either. Lt. Commander Green is a brave and intelligent man, but he is trained in crowd control and tactical maneuvering, not criminal investigation. We have eliminated a large portion of possible suspects but the entire ship, including the rapist, knows we are looking for him. We have no physical evidence beyond Ensign Mifune's DNA and we have no leads."

He was right. Kirk hated to admit it, but they were at a dead end. He pushed himself up and gestured to the computer terminal. "I'll call Pike. Now."

Spock and Uhura left, both gave him words of encouragement before the door slid shut behind them, leaving him alone. Kirk had just sent an urgent message requesting a teleconference, the red flag notification indicating it was a highly sensitive topic, when his communicator beeped.

"Jim! Get down to Sickbay now!" Bones' voice was a mixture of frantic elation and stress.

"What's going on?"

"We've got a hit! We've got a hit on the DNA!"

Author's notes: I fail. First I disappear for months, then I give you this short, short chapter. You can flay me with a wet noodle now. In my defense I was very sick for a while. But I'm on the mend in time for Christmas.

Thank you for reading and God bless you and whatever holiday you celebrate.


End file.
